Type-writing machine



(NQ MQde L) G. W. N. YOST.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 336,614. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

N. PEIERS, Pholn-Lilhogmphnr. Washingwm u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE N. YOST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN WRITING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,614, dated February 23,1886.

Application filed May 16, 1882.

"0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. N. Yos'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve mentsin Type-'Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in type-writing machines in which a series of pivoted typelevers are operated by means of finger-keys in connection with key-levers and connecting-rods.

The objects of my improvements are to unite each finger-key to its lever by simple means, and at the same time retain permanently their relative position after they are once united, and to provide the letters or indices placed in the top of finger-keys with concave glass covers, for the purpose hereinafter stated.

Heretofore finger-keys have been constructed with a strap passing directly around the key-lever or a portion thereof. Others have been made with a rectangular stem mortised in its lower end so as to straddle the key-lever, with a pin driven transversely to keep them united. Fingerkeys thus constructed had no guides to retain them vertically, but in many machines as now constructed guides are necessary, as long stem-keys are used in such machines. The upper part of the strap or clasp secured upon key-levers has been perforated vertically, and its interiorscrewtapped to receive the lower end of the stem of the fingerkey, upon which a screw-thread has been out. One objection to this mode of fast ening is that the fingerkeys are liable to turn accidentally orgradually within their support, and the letters or indices upon them become out of line or inclined at various angles.

Finger-keys have been provided with characters engraved or pasted within concave tops, but these characters have been left uncovered and liable to be easily defaced.

The objects of my invention are to remedy these defects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whioh- Figure 1 represents in perspective a typewriter finger-key having its stem united to the Serial No. 6!,548. (X0 mndelfl,

key-lever thereof. Fig. 2 represents the same 5c in vertical section, but upon a larger scale. Fig. 3 represents a side view of the connect ing-link used to unite the finger-key to the key-lever strap. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same link.

In the drawings, A represents a typewriter key-lever, generally made of a strip of wood, around which is secured a strap, a, of sheet metal, as follows: The strap is of such length as to form two cars, a, extending above the top edge of the key-lever, and at a point imme diately above said top edge there is a tongue, a, cut into and from the metal of one or both ears a, and said tongue is bent over and pressed in close contact with the upper edge 6 5 of the key-lever, retaining said strap permanently in position thereon. In the ears of said strap is pivoted a link, I), by means of a rivet, c, passing therethrough. This link bis nearly rectangular, and is formed of springy sheet metal, the thickness of which is about equal to that of the key-lever or to the diameter of the stem (1 of the finger-key. In said link I) a round hole, I), is made to receive the rivet c, and also at a short distance above it a rectangular opening, I)"; Above said opening b the metal of the link is filed away or removed from its two sides to form a thin partition, 1)", between the two edges b of the link, and asaw-cut-, If, is runlongitudi- Sc nally through this partition, to allow the two edges 1)" of the link to be sprung toward each other at their upper end and form a springclasp, to firmly retain the finger-key stem 11. The latter having its lower end slotted longitudinally, its branches d can be made to straddle the thin partition b" of the link, and restagainst the edges or branches 1) of said link. The inner sides of the branches 1) are preferably beveled in a dovetail form, as shown in. 0 Fig. i, to conform as nearly as possible to the cylindrical form of finger-key stems, and prevent the parts becoming accidentally disconnected after having been placed together in position. This link b differs in many prac- 5 tical features from another link made by me for the same purpose, and presented in another application for patent.

The type-writing machines upon which these stem-finger keys are used are generally provided with six parallel bars, E, secured to the sides of the frame, each having a series of perforations, e, to act as guides and side-supports for the finger-keys. The space between the key lcvers and guide-bars E is generally too small for the passage of the eonstructors fingers, to drive a pin or rivet; hence the fingenkey has to be secured to its key-lever by passingit through one of the small guide-perforations c. This I accomplish in an instant by simply pushing the finger-key stems over and astride of the thin partition 1), between the sprung branches 7) of the connecting-link.

The finger-key D is made of a bottom metallic disk, D, to which the stem at is secured,

a disk, D of enameled cloth, leather, or other 1 suitable semi elastic material having characters or indices printed thereon, a concave cover of glass, D, having its concavity upward, and its bottom recessed to prevent abrasion of the indices, and a cylinder, D of thin metal, having its top and bottom edges so spun or bent in as to unite the parts D, D, and D securely together.

It is found that by giving a curve to the glass D, as shown, it will resist pressure without breaking better than a fiat glass, and there is no rattling of the parts forming the fingerkey, the convex form of the glass top facilitating also the reading of the characters thereunder.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a typewriter keylever, a strap provided with a tongue, a, adapted to press upon said key-lever, the stem of a finger-key split lengthwise in its lower end, and a connecting-link provided with a partition, b and a split, b, therein, and springy branches b, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a typewriter keylever, a strap secured to said lever, the stem of a finger-key having its lower end split lengthwise, and a connecting-link provided with a central partition split lengthwise, and springy branches carrying the two ends of said split partition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the cylindrical stem of a finger-key, a disk, D, secured to the end thereof, and a disk, D having characters printed thereon, with a concave glass cover, D having its bottom recessed, and a cylinder, D, having its edges turned in, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a type-writer keylever, a strap secured to said lever, the stem of a finger-key, and a connecting-link having two springy branches, 1)", adapted to clasp tightly the stem of a finger-key, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE WV. N. YOST.

\Vitnesses:

A. D. MUMFoRD, I. S. BROWN. 

